Photo: Bill Ingalls/NASA -- Atlantis touched down at the Kennedy Space Center before dawn this morning ending the U.S. shuttle program Florida July 21, 2011

 After 30 years, the U.S. space shuttle program is history.  Atlantis swooped out of a dark sky and glided to a safe landing this morning  at 5;57 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis spent 13-days in space before returning to Earth. 

The commander of the last space shuttle flight, Chris Ferguson: “Although we got to take the ride,” said Commander Ferguson on behalf of his crew, ” we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us.”

The other crew members: Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.  More details on this NASA website.

Photo: NASA -- Space shuttle Atlantis blasted off into space from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida July 8, 2011

Atlantis lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:29 a.m. EDT this morning. This is the final flight of the U.S. shuttle program. On board for the 12-day mission to the International Space Station,  Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. More on this NASA website.

Photo: Bill Ingalls/NASA -- Space Shuttle Endeavour made a successful early morning landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida June 1, 2011

Endeavour and its crew are back home on Earth. The shuttle ended its final space journey early this morning at 2:35 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  The 16-day journey included a trip to deliver a payload to the International Space Station. It’s a wrap for Endeavour after 25 years and 122,883,151 flight miles.

After the shuttle rolled to a stop, Commander Mark Kelly shared some thoughts: “It’s sad to see her land for the last time,” Kelly said, “but she leaves a great legacy.” More on Endeavour and its crew on this NASA website.

Endeavour will spend retirement as part of an exhibit in Southern California.

Photo: NASA -- Endeavour attached to a rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida May 16, 2011

Endeavour lifted off from the launch pad at Kennedy Space  Center and into the clouds this morning. Later, Endeavour detached from the rocket and shot out into space. The shuttle crew is scheduled for a 16-day mission, which includes time on the International Space Station.

Endeavour is due to return to Earth from its final space voyage in the wee hours of June 1. Then Endeavour will be heading to the Southland to become part of an exhibit at the California Science Center in L.A.

Photo: NASA/Kim Shiflett -- The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to being launch preparations today May 12, 2011

Efforts are underway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to launch the shuttle  Endeavour for the second time in less than a month.  Endeavour was set to liftoff on its final journey into space with a lot of fanfare and hoopla April 29, but the mission was scrubbed due to a technical glitch. The heaters of one of the shuttle’s generators failed. The malfunction has been fixed, and Endeavour is ready to fly.

The flight crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center today to begin the preps for launch. They are Commander Mark Kelly, Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel, European Space Agency Astronaut Roberto Vittori, Mission Specialist Mike Fincke,  and Pilot Greg. H. Johnson.

Endeavour is scheduled to launch on Monday, May 16, 8:56 a.m. EDT. for a 16-day mission.

Photo: NASA TV -- Endeavour crew led by Commander Mark Kelly arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida today to begin prelaunch preparations April 26, 2011

The crew of space shuttle Endeavour’s final mission arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida today. Commander Mark Kelly and five other astronauts will be apart of the 14-day mission to the International Space Station. The other crew members are: Mission specialists Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel, Mike Fincke, pilot Greg H. Johnson, and European Space Agency astronaut, Roberto Vittori.

At the Kennedy Space Center, Kelly introduced his crew to the media and made some brief comments: “We’re really happy to be here today,” said Kelly. “We got a chance to take look at the orbiter as we first flew over the field and then the over pad. It’s great to see Endeavour all ready to go again.” 

Also, Kelly expressed how happy he is that his wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, will be able to travel to Florida for the historic event.

The launch is this Friday morning. For more on the crew, the launch,  and the official countdown to lift-off go to the NASA Space Shuttle website.

Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls -- Space Shuttle Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center in Florida March 9, 2011

Discovery comes home. The Space shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:47 a.m. EST today. During the 12 day mission — the crew of Discovery delivered spare parts to the International Space Station.

Photo: NASA TV -- Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off from the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida February 24, 2011

Space Shuttle Discovery is cruising in space on its final mission. Discovery lifted off with a thunder into the blue skies over Florida this afternoon from the Kennedy Space Center. During the 11-day mission, the  6 member crew will deliver important parts and equipment to the International Space Station. Discovery is due to return home on March 7.

Photo: NASA TV -- Today Captain Mark Kelly talked about his decision to lead a space mission in April.

The trip dilemma has been hanging in the air since Captain Mark Kelly’s wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) was shot in the head last month. Kelly had to decide whether to stay with his recuperating wife or be the commander of Endeavour’s last flight into space in this spring.

 ”Things fell into place and she improved very fast, so the decision became easier over time,” Kelly said today. “I know my wife very well and I know what she would want, so that makes the decision easier.”

Kelly talked about his decision to command Endeavour’s final space journey during a news conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas: “I am looking forward to rejoining my STS-134 crew members and finishing our training for the mission,” Kelly said. “We have been preparing for more than 18 months, and we will be ready to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the International Space Station and complete the other objectives of the flight. I appreciate the confidence that my NASA management has in me and the rest of my space shuttle crew.”

Kelly has been on personal leave since January 8, when Giffords was wounded outside a Tucson supermarket. The gunman shot 18 others, 6 of them died in the attack. Kelly is scheduled to resume his training for the April 19 mission on Monday, February 7.

More on Kelly’s decision and that upcoming shuttle flight on the NASA website.

NASA Photo: Back row (L to R): Mission Specialist, Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher in Space Participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Greg Jarvis and Mission Specialist, Judy Resnik. Front row (L to R): Pilot Mike Smith, Commander, Dick Scobee and Mission Specialist, Ron McNair.

Today we’re remembering another tragedy that happened 25 years ago in the blue skies above Florida. The space shuttle Challenger blasted off from the launch pad with hopes, dreams, and expectations, but 73 minutes into the flight — it broke apart — killing the crew– and shocking a nation.

One of the most touching speeches about that disaster came from then President Ronald Reagan. Here are two excerpts:

President Ronald Reagan speech on The Challenger Disaster January 28, 1986

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we’re thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, ‘Give me a challenge and I’ll meet it with joy.’ They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’

NASA challenged the pros on the reality show ”Top Chef” to come up with a tasty dish that could be freeze-dried and sent into space for the astronauts to enjoy. The popular Bravo TV show  “Cheftestants” for this seventh season took up the challenge in the Wednesday, September first episode.

Angelo Sosa won the cook-off with his ginger lacquered short ribs with pea puree, pickled mushrooms and horseradish crème fraiche. In a news feature on the NASA website, officials explained why they consider food a top priority in the space program: “Crew members continually say that when they’re in such an unfamiliar environment so far away, food is one of the main things that reminds them of home.”

Following nutritional guidelines set up by NASA scientists, the menu for the space crews has 180 food and beverage items including beef tips with mushrooms, chicken fajitas, shrimp cocktails, coffee, orange juice and lemonade.

The NASA cooks will soon be whipping up Sosa’s dish and adding it to that menu. Oh, for winning the challenge Sosa gets a brand new Toyota Avalon and a chance to attend one of the final two space launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.   

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the last voyage of the Space Shuttle Discovery set for November first, 2010. A few months later, the final flight of Endeavour on February 26, 2011.

NASA is offering the public some opportunities to take part in these historic space missions. One is the “Fly Your Face in Space” or you can send just your name into orbit program. Check out the details here. The second, is a chance to either vote on or submit a tune as a wake song for the astronauts on the final missions. For contest information  click over to the really cool  NASA Space Rock website.

Photo: Courtesy NASA -- Discovery astronauts were introduced this week to the robot, R2, who is traveling with them on their next space flight scheduled for November 1, 2010

 The Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin its final flight into space on November 1, 2010.  Preparations are in full swing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Discovery’s last journey to the International Space Station.

This week, the astronauts for that flight got a chance to meet and learn about the special features of Robonaut 2, or R2, as it’s called. The astronauts will be delivering the giant robot with the gold helmet to the space station along with spare parts and other hardware. More about Discovery’s last flight and the preps for it on the NASA website.

Photo: Carl Winebarger/NASA — Atlantis touches down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday, May 26, 2010, ending its final scheduled flight

“It was smooth as silk,” is how Commander Ken Ham described the entry into Earth’s orbit and landing of Atlantis. Yesterday’s touchdown in Florida, at 8:48 a.m. EDT, wrapped up a busy 12-day mission to the International Space Station. A fine farewell for a space shuttle that has traveled more than 120 million miles in 25 years of service. For more on Atlantis and the shuttle’s last mission click over to the NASA website.

Photo: Tom Farrar Jr./NASA — Space Shuttle Endeavour glides threw the dark onto a lit runway for a rare nighttime landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Commander George Zamka and his five member crew returned home after a two week mission to deliver and install the final U.S. Module and “a room with a view” to the International Space Station. The perfect landing occurred at 7:20 p.m. Pacific Time tonight. More on the shuttle crew and their mission on the NASA website.

Photo: NASA/Tom Tschida

A two week journey in space came to an end for the crew of Discovery yesterday when the space shuttle landed at Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert at 5:53 PDT. Discovery announced its arrival with two thunderous sonic booms over the Southland shortly before the picture perfect landing.

During the trip, the seven member crew delivered supplies and research materials to the International Space Station. Discovery was due to land in Florida, but unstable weather conditions forced a change of plans to Edwards Air Force Base where the skies were sunny and clear.

Next space shuttle to be rolled out on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is Atlantis, scheduled to blast off in mid-November.

Photo: NASA Television

The space shuttle Atlantis roared off the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida today at 2:01 p.m. EDT. On board Atlantis, a crew of seven astronauts gearing up to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. During the 11-day mission and five spacewalks, the astronauts will install two new instruments, repair two others that are inactive, and do the kind of maintenance work which will keep the giant telescope functioning to at least 2014. This is the final shuttle mission to service, repair, and upgrade Hubble.

On April 24, 1990, space shuttle Discovery launched Hubble into orbit around Earth. Over the years, the powerful telescope has floated about our atmosphere beaming back hundreds of thousands of images. That incredible data has helped scientists determine such things as the universe is 13.7 billion years old. Also, Hubble has provided tons of important information about the birth of planets, black holes, and the existence of black energy —a mysterious force, which accelerates the expansion of the universe.

Photo: NASA TV

After a 12-day mission, the shuttle Discovery with a crew of seven on board, touched down safely at Kennedy Space Center in Florida today at 3:14 p.m. EDT.

NASA TV

Strong crosswinds and thunderstorms in Florida forced a change of plans for the space shuttle landing today. So this afternoon, Endeavour returned to Earth with what NASA called a “safe and successful” landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave desert.

Years ago, I was a TV news field producer assigned to cover the landing of a space shuttle at this base. I will never forget what an incredible sight it was to see the shuttle appear in the sky, float down, and land like a giant bird. Oh, a major difference with this fly bird is a parachute that deploys to slow the landing.

The Endeavour crew reportedly completed its mission of a 16-day “extreme home improvement”  and service mission at the International Space Station. Among the projects, the much talked about water recovery system, which they hope will be able to recycle urine and perspiration into drinking water. The crew brought back some recycled samples to test, before putting the recovery system into operation. Good idea.

Next up for Endeavour is the flight back to Florida. Endeavour will get a piggyback ride on top of a Boeing 747 aircraft to Kennedy Space Center. The cost, $1.8 million.